Mounting for indicia viewing assemblies



L. s. WILLIAMS 2,598,871

MOUNTING FOR INDICIA VIEWING ASSEMBLIES June 3, 1952 Filed Oct. 2, i948 5 Sheets-Sheet l INIfEIYTOR. Lawrence .5. WIN/urns 1 QQMMWM ATTORNF. S

June 3, 1952 s. WILLIAMS 2,598,371

.Mou'mmc FOR INDICIA VIEWING ASSEMBLIES Filed Oct. 2, 194a s She ets-Sheet 2 7 I2 J 12 7.? JZ' ZF INV EN]0R. Lawrence .5. lll/ll/lams June 3, 1952 s. WILLIAMS 2,598,871

MOUNTING FOR INDICIA VIEWING ASSEMBLIES Filed Oct. 2, 1948 3 Sheets-sheet 5 I I if I, 7

INVEIYTQR. Lawrence .51 wlll/ams Patented June 3, 1952 UNITED STATES FATE NT" OFFICE MOUNTIN G FOR INDICIA-VIE-WING' ASSEMBLIES- Lawrence szwiuiams, Toledo, Ohio, assi'gndr to Toledo Scale Company, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of N ew] ersey ApplicationOctober 2, 1948 ,,Serial No. 52,583

(01. fill-12!?) This invention relates to weighing, scales and in particular to an improved mounting for an indicia viewing assembly of a scale.

In an efiort to secure great apparent travel of the chart of a weighing scale and thus apparently widely spaced indicia, it has been customary to provide magnifying lenses mounted. in the observers line of vision and adapted to. provide enlarged virtual images of the indicia on the chart and a cooperating. index. Since any increase in apparent size obtained by a lens system results in a corresponding decrease in. apparent brilliance of the indicia, it is customary to provide artificial illumination for that portion of the chart or other indicia bearing surface that is-v included Within the fieldof View of the magnifying lenses.

It is, furthermore, customary to enclose the indicia bearing chart andthe reading. index. as well as the source-of artificial illumination within a housing such that these elements are protected and such that the source of illumination is not directly visible. In the. usual arrangement of the indicia bearing chart and lightsource within the housing and generally behind-thelens system it is necessary to remove the housingwhenever it becomes necessary to gain access to the interior of the indicia viewing assembly or the light source.

The principal object of this invention is to provide an improved mounting. for the indicia viewing assembly whichmounting permitsmovement of the assembly away from the indicia bearing element and thus permits accessto theinterior of the viewing assembly and. to the light source. 7

Another object of: the invention isto provide a simple movable framework forsupporting the indicia viewing assembly. v i

A still further object: ofv the: invention is to support the light source from. the .movable frame such that the light source is brought from a position within the housing where the indicia; viewing assemblyis inits, viewing positiontq a position outside of the housingwhen the movable frame is drawn to its extended position.

A still further object of the inventionis; to provide locking mechanism for holding-gthe*mov-'- able frame in its indiciazviewingriorvretracted posi tion and of locatingsuch-lockingmechanism-lira. position that is accessible without-removing the housing of the scale.

More specific objects and advantages are apparent from the following. description: of a; preferred embodiment of; the invention:

According .to the invention, acondition re'spon; sive indicia bearing chartizis'f-mour'ited int mist frame and an indicia viewing assembly which may include magnifying lenses is mounted on a secondv frame which. secondframe is. movably supported from the first frame. A housing encloses the indiciabearing. member or chart and has an opening that. is covered. by the indicia viewing assembly. The movement permitted by the movable frame carrying the indicia viewing assembly is sufficient. to permit access to the interior of the indiciaviewing assembly. as well as to the interior of the housing when theassembly is moved to its extended position. The principal advantage of. the improved structure is the possibility of replacing. light bulbs or making other minor repairs or adjustments to the viewing assembly without removing, the housing"v of the scale. or endangering. the fragile indiciabearing member. I

A. preferredembodiinent of the invention is i-lliistr'ateillihth accompanying drawings. I

In. fine-drawings; v

Figure. I. is a; perspectivev view, with parts broken away and other parts. shown in section, of the indicating and viewing mechanism of a weighing sca e constructed. according tov the invention.-

Figure 11' is an endlelevation 0f the indicating portionof' the. weighing scale with the viewing assembly shown its eizt'ende'd. position.

Figure -III an end; elevation of the indicating mechanism! showing. the. improved mounting of the; viewing. assemmy. a

Figure. Iv is a. fragmentary elevationtaken substantislly'"a1ongj the. line.IV"I-V of Figure III.

Fi ure v is .a fragmentary. elevationof a portion of the viewing assembly as seen, fromthe line v- -v' er Figure 1v. a

Figure VI an enlarged f ragmentary' detail showing the connectionbetween one end of the spring that eounterbalanoes theweight-I of the lens assembly and: a. rod connected to the assembly.

Figure'VII iswa longitudinalzs'ectiom taken sub"- stantially along the' lin'e' VII- VII. of: Figure III; 7 Figure VIII is a vertical: section similar. to

' Figure showing the viewing-assembly mounted at an" elevated-angle as: is employed-when the indicating: portion:- of the: scale is: substantially below the?- observers's eye level: 1

These specific: figures and the i accompan ing descriptionaare intended merely to'illust'rate the invention but'lnot toimposeliniitations on the" claims;

The: indicating portion of weighing scale em o y ng the invention memes an; indicia bearing chase I that rolled to acylindrical rail I1.

form and that is supported on spiders 2 which in turn are carried on an indicator shaft 3. The indicator shaft 3 is journaled in ball bearings contained within bearing cases 4 which are mounted on end frames 5. The end frames 5, there being one at each end of the cylindrical chart I, form the upper parts of .or are attached to uprights 6 of the Weighing scale. The uppermost parts of the end frames are interconnected by a dust shield 1 extending over the indicia bearing chart I. If desired, the edges of the dust shield I may be turned up to provide gutters or troughs so that dust that collects on the shield can not slide down over the edge and onto the chart. a

The indicia thus carried on a frame, the end frame 5, and it is enclosed within a housing 8 a portion of which is extended forward forming lips 9 and II) that cooperate with skirts I I and I2 of a semicylindrical cover I3 to complete the enclosure of the chart, I. The cover I3 is part of an indicia viewing assembly that includes a plurality of lenses bearing member, the chart'I',is'

substantially radially with respect to the cylindrical chart I, a vertically offset leg 28 that is slidably mounted in a clip 29 secured to the end frame 5, and a lower offset leg 39 that passes closelyadjacent the inner surface of an upper into the front part of the end frame 5.

portion 3| of the scale upright 6. A pin 32 inserted through the upper portion 3| locks the :slidable frame 26 in its retracted position. The 'radially'extending horizontal leg 21 rides on the shank of a large headed screw 33 that is screwed In the retracted position of the viewing assembly the I4 mounted in the cover I3 each of the lenses being located to present to an observer a magnified. virtual image of a portion of a reading line I5fand those of the indicia on the indicia bearing chart I that are adjacent the reading line I5. The reading line may consist of a stretched cord, thread or a fine stretched wire and is positioned closely adjacent but not touching the surface of the chart I.

The field of 'view of each of the lenses I4 is limited by a frusto-pyramidal lens cell I6 the large end of which abuts the inner surface of the cover I3 adjacent the cooperating lens I4 and the smalliend'of which is close to the reading line I5 and the surface of the chart I. The taper or slope of the sides of the lens cells l6 corresponds to the slope of the marginal rays passing'through the lensesI4 so that an observer looking through the lenses has the impression that he is looking through a straight sided rectangular tube. The lenses I4, four in number, are arranged in two groupsof two lenses each. In each group the V lenses, which are rectangular in front elevation, are side by-sideso, that the apparent fields of view of the lenses are substantially continuous and appear to cover two sets of indicia. Horizontal-movement of the cover I3 moves the lenses to bring other sets of indicia into the fields of view. The two groups of lenses are separated by sufficient space so that the fields of view of the lenses, as the cover I3 carrying the lenses is movedback and forth, never include a narrow band around the center of the chart I which band is reserved for weight indicia displayed on the customers side of the scale.

The lens cells I6 are formed as an integral group having a top rail I1 and a bottom rail I8 extending the full length of the group of cells. A pair of grooved rollers I9 one located near each' end of the group of lens cells I6 are journaled on studs 20 threaded into the lower rail I8; A similar grooved roller 2I is mounted from an, adjustable. block 22 secured to the upper The lower rollers I9 and the upper roller 2|.engage the'upper and lower sides respectively of a pair of support rods 23 that are held in spaced relation by generally triangular end pieces 24. Since the cover I3 is attached to the upper and lower rails I1 and I8 of the lens cells and since these rails are also supported through the grooved rollers from the support rods 23., it follows that the entire viewing assembly is movable along the reading line I 5 so pivot pins 25 carrying the triangular end pieces 24 are substantially in line with the reading line I5 so that regardless of the tilting motion of the viewing assembly that is permitted by the pivot pins 25 the reading line remains substantially at the center of the fields of view of the lenses.

The forward ends of the movable frames 26 have upwardly directed extensions 34 between the upper ends of which a lightsource frame 35 is mounted on pivot pins 36. Springs 31 mounted on the pivot pins 36 and engaging the pivoted light source frame 35 and the extensions 34 tend to rotate the frame in a counterclockwise direction as seen in Figure I until such motion is limited by lips 38 that engage the side of the frame 35. The light source frame 35 includes a plurality of spring clips 39adapted to grasp tubular light source bulbs 40 that are electrically connected through a socket M to a source of electrical power. The light source bulbs 46 are arranged to illuminate that portion of the chart I that is visible through the lenses I4 and lens cells I6. In fact, the upper portion of the inner end of each of the lighteells I6 is cut away to increase the amount of illumination reaching the chart I.

The weight of the cover I3, the lenses I4, and the lens cells I6 is'located forwardof the pivot pins 25'and if not restrained would tip the viewing assembly downwardly. The required restraint is furnished by tension springs 420m at each end of the indicating assembly. Each spring 42 is hooked over a pin 43 set in the rearward end of the upper offset leg 28 of the slidable frame 26 and the other end of the spring is connected to a rod 44 the forward end of which is hooked through a hole 45 in the upper part of the triangular end piece 24. The ratethe force per unit of extension-of the spring 42 and the location of the hole 45 with respect to the pivot pin 25 are selected so that the weight of the viewing assembly is accurately counterbalanced for all positions to which it may be tilted. The amount of such tilt is limitedby a stop pin 46that engages a slot 4'! (Figure V) in the end piece 24.

To vary the rate of the increment of force per unit of extension of the spring 42 a connector 48 (Figure VI) threaded onto the rod 44 and having a spiral groove 49 so that it may be screwed into the spring 42 with the wire of the spring resting in the groove 49 isprovided. The rate of the spring 42, which varies according to its effective length, is determined by thedistance that the connector 48'is screwed into the spring, 42 while the magnitude of the pull exerted by the spring is regulated. by the distance that the rod 44 s h dedi hpush; heicon ee gr 41 hi com n tio Q ad ustments nerm l h weight of the viewing assemblyto be accurately counterbalanced. i v V Referrihg o I and; twill be seen that the housing 8 at; the ends; ofthe lip P n 9 d is osed-by g neral y semi,- circular end housing sections 50; and that the ends of the semicylindrical cover I3; of the viewing assembly is closed by crescent shaped end portions I. Since the, viewing assembly is tilt able by rotation about the pivot points 2 5 the curved portions of the semicircular ends 50; are made concentric with. respect. to. the retracted position of the pivot pins 25 which, their retracted position, are in line with the reading line I5. The lips 9 and In of the housing; 8.. and the skirts II and I2 v are concentric about the same axis so that the. skirts mayv be. closely fitted over the lips of the housing. The overlapping engagement of these portionsl'is, sufficient tofpermit theviewing assembly to be tiltedthroughout its complete range of travel as determined by the stop pins 49 and slots 41 without. leaving an opening or gap between the, overlapping skirts II and I2 and lips 9 and. I0.

When it is necessary to replace one of. thelight bulbs 10 or for some other reason it is desired to gain access to the interior of the viewing assembly, the pins 32 which are concealed behind removable decorative. caps 52 of, thehousingare pulled out to their limit of travel, which may be determined by snap rings. or other fastening devices, thereby unlocking the movable. frames 26. This unlocking permits the viewing assembly to be drawn forwardaway from the chart I and housing 8 with the radially extending legs 21 of the movable frames 2 6 v sliding on the shanks of the large headed screws 33 and with the upper legs 28 of the frames 26 sliding through the clips 29. As the frames. 26 move. forward the light source frame 35, the top of, which is slightly higher than the bottom of the housing lip 9 strikes that lip but since the frame 351s pivoted on the pins 36 the frame 35merely tips back,- ward and slides along beneath the lip until the viewing assembly has beenmoved forward to the limit permitted by the clips 29. This exposes the light source frame 35 whichmay be manually rotated to the position shown in Figure II thereby bringing the lightsource bulbs All into an upper position. wherethey may be extracted from the clips 39. After replacement, the light source frame 35 is held manually approximately in the position shown asthe viewing assembly is started back toward the heusing'. After the light source frame 35 has enteredbeneath the lip 9 it may be released and the springs flthen position the light source as the viewingassembly is returned to is retracted position.

This movement of the viewing assembly toward or away from the chart makes it extremely simple to replace-light bulbs or make other minor repairs or adjustments, within the. viewing assembly without endangering thefragile indicia bearing chart I or requiringtheremoval of the housing 8.

While it is not clearly apparent in thedrawings, the length ofthe viewing assembly cover I3 between the inside-faces of the'; end portiens 5| is longer than the distance between the uteide faces of the semicircular housing portions-50 so that the viewing assembly may be moved endwise on the supporting rods 23 a distance substantially equal to the field of view of one of the lenses I4. This amount of movement is suflicient to permit all portions of the. chart length with-the exception of the narrow band reserved for the weight indication on the customers side of thescale to be successively brought within the field of view of the system of lenses I4.

The proportions of the various parts and details of construction are shown in Figures III'to VI inclusive.

Referring now to Figure VII, whichisa vertical section through one. end of the indicating assembly of the, weighing scale, the relative position. of the end frame 5- and the upper part ofthe main scale upright 61 is clearly shown. The housing 8, which consists of front and back portions held in alignment by a molding 53 thatis H-shaped in cross section, encloses the indicating mechanism as well as the uprights 5. Adjacent each of the uprights 6 the front and back portions of: the housing 8, in linewith a boss 54 at theupper end of the upright 6, have projections 55 .that are engaged and covered by a cup-shaped washer 55 held, in place by a screw 51 threaded horizontally into the upper end of the adjacent upright 6. The H-shaped molding 53 separates thehousin portions to allow the locking pin32 to extend slightly beyond the housing so that whenthe decorative cap .52, which is held in place by spring clips, is removed the end of the pin may be grasped and the pin withdrawn from its locking position.

Figure VIII showsthe improved indicia viewing assembly as it is installed on a weighing scale in which the observers line of. vision is directed approximately 30 below thehorizontal when looking through, the viewing. assembly at the indicia on the chart. Comparing Figures III and VIII, the structure shown in Figure III being arranged for horizontal viewing, it will be noticed that the end frames 5: are identical, that the. movable frames 28 are identical, and that. the entire viewing assembly enclosed within the cover I3 and mounted on the movableframes 26=is the same. One differencelbetween the horizontal and the angular viewing; arrangementsis. that the clip 29 is moved from its substantially vertical. position on the forward edge of the spokeof the end frame to an angular positionon. that same spoke. Thus in Figure III, showing the horizontal arrangement, the clip isfastened by screws 58-. threaded into holes 59- while in Figure VIII theclip has been moved so asto be fastened byscrews 58 now threaded into holes Bil. In. each viewthe holes that are in use are concealed. by the clip 29.

Likewise, when going from the. horizontal to the angular viewing position th screws 33 on which the radial leg 27 of the movableframe- 25 rests are movedfrom their lower positions as seen in Figures I and III to upper positionswhere they thread into holes SI of theend frames 5;v

The housing is modified, of course, in going from the horizontal viewin ..arrangement to the other in that the angular. viewing arrangement'of Figure VIII has housing lips. Hand 63 that are located much higher relative to the. indicia bearing chart I than are the. lips: Bland I0 of the housing shown in Figures I andIIL However, the-arrangement of the lipsSZ-and 63 with respect to the skirts II and I2 of the viewing assemblyis thezsame regardless of the arrangement. The locking arrangementis the same'since the lower leg 30 of the movable frame 26 is provided with a pair ofhol'es fi i andarrangedso that the hole 64 is engaged by the lockin pin 32 when the movable frame 26 is in the horizontal arrangement and, is engaged in the hole 65 when the angular or inclined viewing arrangement is employed.

Themovmht of the'movable fram is substantially radial in each arrangement but departs the viewing assembly in its proper position. The

inaccuracies inmanufacture or assembly, 'however, donot affect the accuracy of the indication becausethe thread constituting the reading line I is supported from the end frames 5 independently of the slidable frames 26. The only requirement affectin the viewing assembly is that the reading line I5 shall be located approximately along the horizontal center line of the field of view of the lenses [4,

Various modifications in the construction and mounting of the movable frames may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having described the invention, I claim:

1. In a structure of the class described, in combination, an indicia bearing member, a frame supporting said member, a housing covering said member, an indicia viewing assembly, and a second frame that supports the viewing assembly and that is movably mounted on the first frame, the movable mounting of the second frame permitting the viewing assembly to be moved from a viewing position at which the housing bars access to the interior of the viewing assembly to a non-viewing position at which the interior of the assembly is accessible.

2 In a structure of the class described, in combination, an indicia bearing member, a frame supporting said member, a housing covering said member, an indicia viewing assembly, and a second frame that supports the viewing assembly and that is mounted for movement relative to the first frame whereby the viewing assembly may be moved from its operative position relative to the housing'to an accessible position adjacent the housing.

3. In a structure of the=class described, in combination, an indicia bearing member, a frame supporting said member, a housing covering said member, an indicia viewing assembly, a second frame that supports theviewing assembly and that is mounted on the first frame for movement between a retracted and an extended position relieve to the housing, and a light source supporting frame that is movably v mounted on said second frame independently of the viewing assembly.

4. In an indicating assembly of a weighing scale, in combination, an indicia bearing member, a frame supporting said member, a housing covering said member, a lens assembly the indicia viewing portion of which is movable parallel to the surface of said member, and a second frame that pivotally supports the lens assembly, a pair of leg-like members in the second frame that slidably engage the first frame to movably mount the second frame on the first mentioned frame for movement of the lens assembly toward or away from said member.

5; In an indicating assembly of a weighing scale, in combination,

an indicia bearing member,a frame supporting said member, a housing covering said member, a lens assembly the indicia viewing portion of which is movable parallel to said member,- a second frame on which the lens assembly is pivotally supported, said second frame-having a pair of leg-like members slidably mounted on the first frame for supporting the second frame, and a spring acting between the lens assembly and the movably mounted second frame for counterbalancing the weight of the lens assembly.

6. In an indicating assembly of a weighing scale, in combination, an indicia bearing member, a frame supporting said member, a housing covering, said member, an indicia viewing assembly, a second frame that is movably mounted on the first frame, said viewing assembly'being pivotally mounted on the second frame, and a spring acting between the viewing assembly and the second frame for counterbalancing the weight of the assembly.

7. In an indicating assembly of a weighing scale, in combination, an indicia bearing member, a frame supporting said member, a housing covering said member, an indicia viewing assembly, a second frame that supports the viewing assembly and that is movably mounted on the first frame, said viewing assembly being movable by movement of the second frame between a viewing position and a non-viewing position, and locking means for holding the second frame with the viewing assembly in viewing position.

8. In an indicating assembly of a weighing scale, in combination, an indicia bearing member, a frame supporting said member, a housing covering said member, an indicia viewing assembly, a second frame that supports the viewing assembly and that is movably mounted on the first frame, said viewing assembly being movable by movement of the second frame between a viewing position and a, non-viewing position, locking means for holding the second frame with the viewing assembly in viewing position, and decorative caps on the housing for concealing the locking means.

9. In a structure of the class described, in combination, an indicia bearing member, a frame supporting said member, a housing covering said member, an indicia viewing assembly, a second frame that supports the viewing assembly, said. second frame comprising a pair of legs slidably mounted on said first frame whereby the second frame may be moved from a retracted to an extended position, and a light source mounted on the second frame in a position that is exposed when the frame is in extended position.

LAWRENCE S. WILLIAMS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent;

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

